Telegraph apparatus.



A. RAPPBNEGKER. TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 8, 1912.

1,070,289, Patented Aug. 12, 19 13.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

RECE VE/P (.4 M ma- Sly/Ma A. RAPPENEOKER.

" TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYB, 1912.

1,070,2 9, Patented Aug. 12, 1913 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TRANSMITTER AI v I Wffiim/ Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALPHONS RAPPENECKER, OF BREMEN, GERMANY.

TELEGRAPH APPARAriIs.

Application filed July 8, 1912. Serial No. 708,282.

like telegraphic apparatus with a ray of light acting photographically as a receiver, the action of the ray on the film surface being interrupted when the pencil is raised, and consists chiefly in the arrangement of a device for temporarily stopping or shutting off the source of light of the receiver by means of a contact which is automatically operated as soon as the pencil is lifted off from the writing surface.

The receivers hitherto known with a de- \'ice for the temporary interruption of the exposure of a photographic film, worked in such a manner that the printing ray of light was moved from the sensitive surface to a non-sensitive place, as soon as the pencil or stylus of the transmitter was lifted off from the writing surface, for instance when passing from one word to another and when writingscveral dashes, drawings and pictures. 'As is well known the movement of the ray of light was hitherto obtained by cutting off current from the mirror galvanometer transmitting the writing movement, or by sending through the mirror galvanometer a current-in the direction opposite to that of the writing current. As, however,

the mirror galvanometers have to be providerl with a reliable damping device in order to enable accurate writing to be obtained in aperiodic movements, the speed of the rotations of the mirror, owing to the inertia of the armature or of the moving coil frame required for damping, is a limited one. The ray of light cannot therefore be moved off as suddenly as required foravoiding any superfluous and non-intended light impression on the sensitlve receiving surface. In addition to the inertiaof the instrument. there is also the undesired appearance of superfluous dashes, caused by the very high sensitiveness to light of the receiving surface. While it is impossible to do without damping the instruments, it .is

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

on the other hand not permissible to weaken the sensitiveness of the receiving surface, as

"very quick movements of the pencil must be photographically recorded.

The above drawbacks are obviated according to this invention by the source of light of the receiver being extinguished or shut off whenever the transmitter pencil is lifted off from the writing surface, without the writing circuits being affected thereby. This measure has the advantage-that the rotatable part of the mirror-galvanometer can still follow exactly with its movements those of the writing pencil, even when the latter is lifted off from the writing surface, so that at the moment in which the pencil is 'put down, the mirror is already at the proper point and becomes operative at once, while formerly on the pencil being put down, the mirror had first to be brought back from a considerable distance,,and it was impossible to avoid a superfluous and undesired dash on the writing surface. According to this invention, the mirror follows, on the contrary, the movements of the writing interval, in the dark, and 1s exactlyat the desired point as soon as the light is again uncovered or produced. A superfluous dash cannot therefore be produced on the writing surface.

If any desired number of wires could be used for connecting a transmitter station to a receiver station, the temporary extinguishing or the shutting off of the source of light, could be easily accomplished by closing, during the raising of the pencil, by meansof a contact device hereinafter described, a circuit at the receiver station controlling,' independently of the wires used for transmitting the writing currents, an electromagnetic device which extinguishes or shuts off the source of light. As however in most practical cases, the telewriter is intended to be used simultaneously with a telephone, and over the same wires, it is necessary to do all the work of sending and receiving at the outside with three conductors namely two wires and the earth return.

According to this invention, the problem in question is solved by using continuous current for transmitting the writing move-.

ments, while the device for rendering inoperative the source of light is operated by an alternating current of a high number of But equally well could be used periods. for writing, alternat ng currents, and for operating the stopping device of the source of light, continuous current. Again for 1nstance for stopping the source of li ht could be used a current flowing in a di erent ditherefore be considered merely as a method of carrying out the invention, which is preferableon account of its simplicity.

According to this invention, the source of light is automatically rendered inoperative at a given moment, by a contact arranged in the pencil-holder of the transmitter, closing or opening the alternating current circuit, according as the pencil is rendered operative or inoperative. The invention consists therefore further in the special construction of the pencil, in the methodof connection and in other contact devices which, by their cooperation, render the'invention practically applicable. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows, by way of example, a construction of the pencil and of the pencil holder in side elevation. Fig. 2 shows the inner arrangement of the pencil-holder in vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 3 shows the pencilholder in a horizontal longitudinal section. For the. sake of clearness, the device shown in Fig. 3 is omitted in Fig. 2, and the device shown in Fig. 2 is not drawn in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows. the connection diagram of the transmitter apparatus, while Fig. 5 is the connection diagram of the recelver apparatus.

Electric transmision of writing movements takes place in the well known manner, by the movements of the transmitter pencil being resolved into two rectangular coordinates and converted into changes of resistance. The changes of resistance are produced in sliding'resistances 21 and 22 each of which forms part of a separate circuit of the battery 43. The path of current in these two circuits is as follows: From the negative pole of the battery 43 through the regulating resistance 46 (47), resistance 21 (22) and through the contactclosed in the working position of the transmitter-of the relay 25, to the positive pole of thebattery'43.

Receiver circuits are connected-in parallel with each of the resistances 21 and 22 such receiver circuits having a common return (earth 9). The path of current is from the sliding contact of the resistance 21 (22) through the choking coil 48 (49) and the contact of the relay 26,-closed.in the'wo'rkin position of the transmitter'-line wire 2 (1 the contact of the relay 50-closed in the receiving position of the receiver-the windings of the mirror instrument 12 (51) the said receiver circuits.

and through the windings of the rela 27 to earth 8 and to the positive pole o the battery 43. The'changes of resistance in the sliding resistances 21 .and 22 therefore cause corresponding fluctuations of current in the receivercircuits which in their turn act on the mirror instruments and thus produce the movements of the ray of light reflected therefrom. In order that the lamp in the receiver should not give light in the position of rest, but only during the time in which current is received from a transmitter apparatus, the relay 27 is connected in This relay becomes operative as soon as writing currents flow through the instruments, and as shown in Fig. 5, switches in the lamp 28. The path of current is from the positive pole 52 of the battery 45, through the lamp 28, the rest contact'of the relay 7, the working contact of the relay 27, to the negative pole ofthe battery 45.

The contact device which becomes operative on the transmitter pencil being raised from the writing surface, and has for its object to render the ray of light inoperative at the given moment, does not act on the v relay 27 which is connected in the writing circuits, but independently of the same on the relay 7, namely in the following manner: During the writing, at the transmitter station (Fig. 4) there is in operation a buzzer converter 3 or the like, which at firstdoes not exercise any function or produce any operation, for the reason that the secondary of said converter is open. The primary buzzer current passes from the negative pole of thebattery 44 through the converter 3, the contact of the relay 25, which is closed in the working position of the transmitter, to the positive pole of the bat tery 44. As soon however as the pencil 4 is raised from the writing surface, for instance in case of a space between two words of the text, the alternating current coming from the secondary winding of the converter 3, from the point a, will pass through a condenser 5-through the wire 2 to the receiver apparatus (Fig. 5), there through a condenser 6 and the alternating current relay 7 to the earth connection 8, through the earth back to the earth connection 9 of the transmitter station (Fig. 4) and through the contact device 10 of the pencil holder 11 to the other poleb of the secondary winding of the converter 3.

The condenser 5 in the transmitter a paratus (Fig. 4) is employed to revent t e writing current flowing in the me wire 2,

. 15 (Fig. 3) supporting the pencil 4, is

- pole of the converter, instead of going to contact and resistance 21 of the transmitter apparatus to earth, and finally to the other the receiver. At the receiver apparatus (Fig. 5), the condenser 6 closes, to the writing current, the path through the alternating current relay 7 to earth, so that the writing current flows without any alteration through the mirror galvanomet-er 12. The alternating current which as long as the pencil remains raised, passes through the line wire 2, cannot affect the galvanometer 12 (Fig. 5), as in front of the latter is inserted as an additional precaution, a choking coil 13 which closes the path to that current. Even without the choking coil 13, the galvanometer 12 would not be affected by the alternating current, as the moving coil frame or the armature of the galvanometer cannot follow changesof current taking place in quick succession.

For carrying out in practice the measures mentioned above, it is advisable to use a specially constructed pencil holder 11 in the hollow front end of which is arranged a pivoted spindle 15 (Figs. 1-3) supporting the pencil '4 and pivoted about a cross pin 14, the free rear end 16 of the said spindle 15 closing or opening thecurrent contact or contacts, according as the pencil 4 is rendered operative or inoperative, which results in a corresponding turning of the spindle 15 about its cross-pin 14. It is more particularly advisable to arrange the contacts controlled by the rear end 16 of the spindle 15, by providing a contactspring 17 in the path of movement of the rear end 16 of the spindle 15, between two contact springs 18 and 19, in such a manner that the contact spring 17 is in contact either only with the one, or only with the other contact pole. In the pencil holder 11 is for t-her provided a contact device 20, which, on the writing being finished, when the pencil is turned over, automatically breaks the circuits formed over the sliding resistances 21 and 22 .of the transmitter, for the purpose of avoiding losses of current, converts the transmitter apparatus into a receiving apparatus, brings about the photographic finishing and conveying of the film just exposed, and again provides -the writing surface of the receiver with a not yet exposed film. The automatic action of the contact device 20 is due to the fact that the pivoted spindle mounted so as tobe rotatable-aboutthe longitudinal axis of the holder 11, and provided at the rear end with a stop 23, which owing to the rotation of the spindle 15 taking place when the pencil 5 is taken up or .put down again, comes into or out of contact w1th a contact spring 24 which closes or agaln breaks the working circuit. Automatic sel cti n of proper connections at a suitable! moment is an urgent necessity in practice for copying telegraphs, in order to make entirely impossible any errors due to the insufficient training or carelessness of the pubhe who work the apparatus independently.

In thewriting-telegraphs hitherto known, it was necessary to operate by hand a me.- chanical contact device at the transmitter apparatus when the writing was finished, in order to cause the written paper at the receiving station to be brought into the open and the transmitter station to be switched over so that it could be used as a receiver station. As is well known, each telegraph station consists of a transmitter and a receiver, as it must be used both for sending and for receiving graphic representations. It follows that when sending messages, only the transmitting device of the sending station, and at the same time only the receiving device at the receiving stations, are operative. If the public had to operate a mechanical contact device after finishing writing they would frequently forget to do so. In that case however neither the written piece of paper at the receiver would be broughtinto the open, nor would the transmitter station be changed over again into a receiver. Neither apparatus therefore would be in the position to receive graphic communications that might be sent to them say from a third point. This would destroy the object of the transmission as the message sent would not be conveyed into the open from the apparatus or photographically finished. It has been attempted to remedy that drawback by providing for keeping the pencil in a separate holderon the transmitter apparatus, connected to a contact device, in order that after the writing is finished, the pencil should be put on or secured to the same. But when the telewriter is used a great deal, this is also frequently forgotten,

so that. it is necessary that the copying telegraphs should be provided like the telephone with a device which becomes automatically operative as soon as a communication is finished. v I p According to this invention there is provided for that purpose the contact device 20 which becomes operative at each rotation of the pivoted spindle 15, when the pencil 4, on being taken up or put down again, is unintentionally rotated with the pivoted spindle 15 about its longitudinal axis. The wires secured to the contact 20, are preferably connected in such a manner that during the writing, a circuit is closed through the two relays 25 and 26 (Fig. 4) namely in the following manner :from the negative pole 53 of the battery, through the windings of the relays 26 and 25, the contact 20which is closed when the pencil is raised-to the positive pole of the battery 43. The relay 26 switches over the line wires 1 and-2 from the receiving to the transmitting parts of the apparatus. converter 3 and closes the local circuits formed over the slidingresistances 21 and 22 of the transmitter. As soon as the pencil 4 is put down, it comes into the horizontal position, and the contact device is interrupted. The current is cut off from the rereceiver station (Fig. 5) as no currents flow then over the wires 1 and 2. In that way the lamp 28 of the receiver station (Fig. 5), which was formerly burning, is swltched out. At the same time, owing to the falling I back of the armatures of said relays and 26, a current impulse is produced in the line Wire 1, in the direction opposite to that of the writing current, so that the polarized relay 29' of the receiver station (Fig. 5) attracts for a second its armature. The current passes from the negative pole of the battery 44, over the contact 3l /30,the wire 1,:the closed contact of the relay 50 of the receiver (Fig. 5), the winding of the relay 29 of the receiver to earth 8 and 9, back to the positive pole ofthe battery 44. The resistance 49 connected into the wire 1, prevents an excessive weakenlng of th1s current impulse, or its passage to earth over the resistance 22.

In order to insure that the current impulse required for the purpose should in any case last sufficiently long to become operative, the

relay 26 of the transmitter apparatus (F ig; 4) has a separate contact device 30 7 provided with a rotary disk 31 and a spiral spring 32. The rotary disk 31 is weighted on one side for instance by a weight 33 secured to it, and provided with a crank pin 34 on which freely rests the armature lever 35 of the relay 26. When the armature lever 35 falls back, the crank pin 34 is given a slight blow which causes the rotary disk 31 to swing. It swings then first in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4) so that the spiral spring 32 secured to the same spindle, comes to rest against the platinum tip of the contact 30. The spiral spring 32 is then set a little by the action of the momentum of the rotary disk 31, during which time the spiral spring 32 remains in engagement with the contact 30. In that way, longer contact is obtained suflicient to allow the relay 29 (Fig. 5) to attract strongly its armature. P

Owing to the relay 29 becoming operative the relay 37 (Fig.5) is excited through-the contact 36 and switched into a circuit which still remains closed after the falling back of The relay 25 operates the then until the holding circuit carriedthrough the relay 37, is broken by the con tact 39. The breaking is effected in the well- I known manner as soon as the exposed photographic paper comes out from the developing apparatus 40. In addition to the conveying of the film of the receiver by means of the pencil contact, there must be provided also a device operated by hand, for renewing the film of the receiver, when the writing surface of-the transmitter is provided with new paper. The paper of the transmitter, mounted on the roller 54, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is drawn over the writing surface by means of two feed rollers 41, the feeding of the paper being preferably manually controlled. The feed rollers'41 are operated by a suitable hand-crank attached to the axis of one of said rollers by means of a pin and slot connection, so that when the crank is rotated in clockwise direction, it drives the upper feed roller 41, and said roller cooperating with its companion roller, draws the paper forward over the writing surface and from the storage roller 54. The clockwise movement of the crank also produces an axial movement thereof with respect to the axis of roller 41, by reason of the pin and slot connection between the crankand the spindle of said shaft 41, and this axial movement has the effect of closing contacts 42, whereby a current impulse sub st-antially equivalent to that produced by the closure of contacts 30 and 31, is sent through the line wire 1 from the battery 44 through the relay 29, and similarly to the closure of the contacts 30 and 31, energizes motor 38 at the receiving stat-ion which feeds the exposed portion of the paper strip at the receiving station through the developing a paratus 40, and renews the portion of the sensitized strip, to be next exposed, from roller 43'.

hat I claim is v 1. In a writing telegraph, transmitting mechanism comprising a pivoted stylus, a receiver including a light ray reflector mechanism responsive to writing movements of the stylus, and means controlled by the stylus for cutting off the source of light whenthe stylus is lifted from writing position and for converting the transmitting station into a receiving station when the stylus is released.

2. In a writing telegraph, transmitting apparatus comprising a pivoted stylus and variable resistance devices controlled by said for cutting off the source of light when the stylus is lifted from writing position and for converting the transmitting station into a receiving station when the stylus is released.

3. In a writing telegraph, transmittin apparatus comprising a pivoted stylus an variable resistance devices controlled by said stylus, photographic receiving apparatus including a. source of light, a mirror for reflecting the light and means for moving said mirror in response to the movements of the stylus, line connections interposed between the transmitting and receiving apparatus, contacts controlled by the stylus for closing the operating circuit during writing movements of the stylus and for cutting out the transmitter and cutting in the receiver when the stylus is released.

4r. In a writing telegraph, the combination with a transmitting instrument embodying independent variable resistance mediums, a stylus connected with and controlling the same by its component motions, a switch controlled by the stylus when in Writing position for establishing a working circuit in transmitting, a receiver embodyin a light reflector, electro-magnetic controlling devices therefor actuated by the variation of the resistances of the transmitting instrument in accordance with the movement of the stylus, a sensitive receiving surface on which the path of the reflected light is recorded, and asecond switch controlled by the stylus for establishing circuits for extinguishing the light When the stylus is lifted and for feeding the sensitized surface when the stylus is released. I

5. In a writing telegraph, including operating'. circuits, a stylus and means for varying the current through the circuits in accordance with the component movements of the stylus, a receiver including a device for reflecting a ray of light, means for oscillating said deflecting device in different planes controlled by the variation of current in the circuits, whereby the movements of the stylus in any direction are made manifest by the rays of deflected light, means controlled by the lifting of the stylus for extinguishing the light rays, and means controlled by the V release of the stylus to change the transmitting station into a receiving station. if

6. In a Writing telegraph, a transmitter including a stylus, a receiver including a light ray reflector responsive to the Writing movements of the stylus, a source of direct current for communicating the writing impulses from the transmitter to the receiver, a relay associated with the receiver and responsive to alternating currents to cut off the light at the receiver, and means controlled by the stylus for impressing alternating current on the line when the stylus is lifted from writing position.

7. In a Writing telegraph transmitter, a stylus holder comprising an arm, a spindle supported thereby for rotation about a longitudinal axis and pivotal movement in a direction at right angles thereto, astylus carried by said spindle, and contacts carried by said holder and controlled respectively by the rotary and pivotal movements of the ALPHONS 'RAPPENECKER.

Witnesses BERNH. STEINER, WILHELM STRUss. 

